Compassionate love
Encyclopedia
Compassionate love, sometimes also called altruistic love, has been a topic of scientific interest and research since the 1990s. It is also closely related to the construct of unlimited love that has been expounded by Stephen G. Post
. Compassionate love refers to love that "centers on the good of the other" (p. 3, Underwood, 2008). It is distinct from altruism, compassion, and romantic love. Since 2001, the scientific study of compassionate love has received several million dollars in research support from the Fetzer Institute
and the Institute for Research on Unlimited Love (IRUL).
The emergence of the term compassionate love has been described by Lynn G. Underwood in a chapter in the first edited book on compassionate love research, The Science of Compassionate Love. The term first emerged in the context of a research meeting at the World Health Organization
(WHO) for developing tools to assess quality of life
to be used in diverse cultures. The group included researchers from all over the world, from both religious and nonreligious backgrounds. One of the facets of interest was loving kindness, or love for others. Underwood writes that "There was considerable discussion of the appropriate wording for this aspect. The Buddhists were not happy with the word 'love' but wanted 'compassion' to be used, which for them fit the concept. The Muslims in the group (from Indonesia, India, and Turkey) were adamant that compassion was too 'cold' and that 'love' needed to be there as it brought in the feeling of love.... 'compassionate love' was the compromise phrase" (pp. 8-9, Underwood, 2008).
Scientific research on compassionate love began to emerge after a 1999 conference at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT) that brought together several key theorists and researchers, and produced an edited book reflecting major ideas.
Underwood's approach was incorporated in the initial funding for scientific research on compassionate love, based on a Request for Proposals (RFP) issued by Fetzer Institute in 2001.
Bioethicist and theologian Stephen G. Post
's approach to altruistic love has also informed a substantial portion of the scientific research on compassionate love, although he more often uses the terms altruistic love and unlimited love. Post's understanding of unlimited love is presented in his 2003 book, Unlimited love: Altruism, compassion and service Post draws on work published in the 1950s by eminent Harvard sociologist Pitirim Sorokin
, who described 5 dimensions of love (intensivity, extensivity, duration, purity, and adequacy). Compared to Underwood's definitions of compassionate love, Post's definition of unlimited love places greater emphasis on extensivity - in particular, the extension of love to all human beings. Unlimited love as defined by Post might therefore be viewed as a subtype of compassionate love. Post's approach was incorporated in the second batch of funding for scientific research on compassionate love, based on an RFP issued by the Institute for Research on Unlimited Love in 2002.
, and health.
Stephen G. Post
Stephen G. Post PhD, is the best selling author of The Hidden Gifts of Helping: How the Power of Giving, Compassion, and Hope Can Get Us Through Hard Times , as listed on the nonfiction best seller list with the Wall Street Journal....
. Compassionate love refers to love that "centers on the good of the other" (p. 3, Underwood, 2008). It is distinct from altruism, compassion, and romantic love. Since 2001, the scientific study of compassionate love has received several million dollars in research support from the Fetzer Institute
Fetzer Institute
-The Institute:The Fetzer Institute is a mid size operating foundation based in Michigan, United States, founded by John E Fetzer.Since its founding, the Fetzer Institute has been interested in individual and community health and wholeness, from our early days of mind-body health research to its...
and the Institute for Research on Unlimited Love (IRUL).
The emergence of the term compassionate love has been described by Lynn G. Underwood in a chapter in the first edited book on compassionate love research, The Science of Compassionate Love. The term first emerged in the context of a research meeting at the World Health Organization
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
(WHO) for developing tools to assess quality of life
Quality of life
The term quality of life is used to evaluate the general well-being of individuals and societies. The term is used in a wide range of contexts, including the fields of international development, healthcare, and politics. Quality of life should not be confused with the concept of standard of...
to be used in diverse cultures. The group included researchers from all over the world, from both religious and nonreligious backgrounds. One of the facets of interest was loving kindness, or love for others. Underwood writes that "There was considerable discussion of the appropriate wording for this aspect. The Buddhists were not happy with the word 'love' but wanted 'compassion' to be used, which for them fit the concept. The Muslims in the group (from Indonesia, India, and Turkey) were adamant that compassion was too 'cold' and that 'love' needed to be there as it brought in the feeling of love.... 'compassionate love' was the compromise phrase" (pp. 8-9, Underwood, 2008).
Scientific research on compassionate love began to emerge after a 1999 conference at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
(MIT) that brought together several key theorists and researchers, and produced an edited book reflecting major ideas.
Approaches to defining Compassionate Love
According to Underwood's framework, which has informed a substantial portion of the scientific research, 5 key and defining features of compassionate love include:- Free choice for the other
- Some degree of accurate cognitive understanding of the situation, the other, and oneself
- Valuing the other at a fundamental level
- Openness and receptivity
- Response of the heart
Underwood's approach was incorporated in the initial funding for scientific research on compassionate love, based on a Request for Proposals (RFP) issued by Fetzer Institute in 2001.
Bioethicist and theologian Stephen G. Post
Stephen G. Post
Stephen G. Post PhD, is the best selling author of The Hidden Gifts of Helping: How the Power of Giving, Compassion, and Hope Can Get Us Through Hard Times , as listed on the nonfiction best seller list with the Wall Street Journal....
's approach to altruistic love has also informed a substantial portion of the scientific research on compassionate love, although he more often uses the terms altruistic love and unlimited love. Post's understanding of unlimited love is presented in his 2003 book, Unlimited love: Altruism, compassion and service Post draws on work published in the 1950s by eminent Harvard sociologist Pitirim Sorokin
Pitirim Sorokin
Pitirim Alexandrovich Sorokin was a Russian-American sociologist born in Komi . Academic and political activist in Russia, he emigrated from Russia to the United States in 1923. He founded the Department of Sociology at Harvard University. He was a vocal opponent of Talcott Parsons' theories...
, who described 5 dimensions of love (intensivity, extensivity, duration, purity, and adequacy). Compared to Underwood's definitions of compassionate love, Post's definition of unlimited love places greater emphasis on extensivity - in particular, the extension of love to all human beings. Unlimited love as defined by Post might therefore be viewed as a subtype of compassionate love. Post's approach was incorporated in the second batch of funding for scientific research on compassionate love, based on an RFP issued by the Institute for Research on Unlimited Love in 2002.
Health effects
Several of the research projects on compassionate love that were funded by Fetzer and IRUL investigated health effects from engaging in compassionate love, which evidence suggests are primarily positive. Post edited a scholarly book that described many scientific findings related to compassionate love, altruismAltruism
Altruism is a concern for the welfare of others. It is a traditional virtue in many cultures, and a core aspect of various religious traditions, though the concept of 'others' toward whom concern should be directed can vary among cultures and religions. Altruism is the opposite of...
, and health.
Further reading
- Stephen G. Post, Lynn G. Underwood, Jeffrey P. Schloss, William B. Hurlbut (Eds.), Altruism and Altruistic Love: Science, Philosophy, and Religion in Dialogue (2002).(table of contents), New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-195-14358-2.
- Beverley Fehr, Susan Sprecher, & Lynn G. Underwood (Eds.), The Science of Compassionate Love: Theory, Research, and Applications (2008). (table of contents), Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell. ISBN 978-1-405-15394-2.
- Stephen G. Post (2003). Unlimited love: Altruism, compassion and service (2003). Philadelphia: Templeton Foundation Press. ISBN 1-932-03131-6.
- Stephen G. Post (Ed.), Altruism and health: Perspectives from empirical research (2007).(table of contents), New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-195-18291-0.